The World Health Organization said three deaths aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean may be linked to a possible hantavirus outbreak, a disease transmitted to humans primarily through rodents.
In a statement to Agence France‑Presse, the WHO said it had been informed of a public health incident involving a cruise vessel and is providing support. One case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, while five additional cases are considered suspected.
Of the six individuals affected, three have died and one is currently being treated in an intensive care unit in South Africa.
The cruise ship, the MV Hondius, was sailing from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde. On Sunday, the vessel was located just outside the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, according to AFP journalists.
The WHO noted that while hantavirus is rare, it can in certain cases be transmitted from human to human and may cause severe respiratory illness.
Close monitoring of patients, appropriate medical support and treatment are required, the organization said.
Comprehensive investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing and epidemiological assessments. Medical care and support are being provided to both passengers and crew, while viral sequencing is also under way.
Hantaviruses are transmitted to humans through infected wild rodents, such as mice or rats. Infection can occur through bites, direct contact with rodents or their droppings, or by inhaling contaminated dust.
There are multiple types of hantavirus, which vary by geographic distribution and clinical manifestation. According to the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, only one type of hantavirus, which is extremely rare, can be transmitted from person to person.
Source: CNA
